Pressure suit



Sept. 19, 1961 c. RICH PRESSURE SUIT Filed may 1o, 1955 Inventor CARLR/cH by" QLQQMNQ Filed May 10, 1955, Ser. No. 507,405 4 Claims. (Cl.2-2.1)

'This invention relates to a pressure suit for aircraft pilots.

It is the main object of the invention to provide a pressure suit whichis air or gas permeable.

Other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a view of a pressure suit of the invention as worn by apilot;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan section of the suit of FIGURE 1 in thechest region illustrating the contracting action thereof in increasingpressure upon the wearer;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the air permeable materials from whichthe suit of FIGURE l is formed.

Referring to the drawings, the pressure suit of the invention preferablycomprises a contractible body covering 10, a helmet 11, gloves 12, andboots 13.

The covering is formed of an air permeable mate rial 14 shown in sectionin FIGURE 3 having an outer layer preferably formed of closely knittedrelatively ne enamel-insulated copper wire cloth 15 separated from aninner cotton or other suitable textile cloth 16 by an inisulatingmaterial 17 such as batting formed of line glass bers.

Sleeves 1-8 are fastened relatively tightly about the wearers arms bythe slide fasteners v19 and are laced as at 20 to a shoulder fitting 21on each side suitably reinforced with leather sheeting 22 or the like.The covering 10 is separable on substantially vertical spaced apartlines 24 and 25 extending from shoulder to toe down the front of thebody and is suitably reinforced by reinforcing strips 25 and 26 tosupport lacings 27 and 28 whereby in the upper regions of the suit soformed a front panel portion 29 is fastened to a back panel portion 30as shown in FIGURE 2.

Tensioning electrical solenoid devices 31 having a conventional solenoidor coil part 32 adapted to draw thereinto the rod or core 33 anchored toanchorage fitting 34, are mounted on the reinforcing strips 25 and 26.The solenoid devices 31 are connected electrically in parallel throughjunction box 31a and cable 31b to a suitable source of electrical powerincluding a rheostat (not shown) whereby the energization of thesolenoids can be controlled to apply predetermined tensioningrepresented by arrows Y and effect control of pressure or tensioningupon the body of the wearer. As shown in FIGURE l, the solenoid devicesmay be covered by a pliable pouch 35 to protect the mechanism thereof.

The helmet 11 may embody earphones 36 and a microphone 37 connectable bycable 38 to a communication system (not shown). Note that the boots 13terminating at 39 are also tensionable and are separable upon removal oflacings 27 and 28.

A metal fabric formed of knitted wire wherein each wire carries aninsulating coating forms a part of this invention. It is intended that aplurality of individual wires of such fabric may be connectedelectrically in parallel to serve as an electrical conductor havingresistance to current iiow whereby the fabric may be heated. Also themetal fabric herein as compared with a textile fabric may present agreater mass for absorption of nuclear radiation. The gloves 12 may beformed of the metal fabric of the invention without additionalinsulatlefed Sete., Patent' 0 V'ing layers of material. Because thefabric is "ice" knitted and is of metal it embodies a limitedcharacteristic of stretchability adapted to confine the ilesh at lowatmospheric pressures. Accordingly, special tensioning devices need notnecessarily be employed in regions of the arms and hands of the wearer.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A pressure suit adapted to compensate for changes in atmosphericpressure upon the body of a wearer and comprising in combination: metalwire fabric gas perm@ able pliable panels of limited interstitialstretchability formed to enclose the human body; electrical tensioningmeans attached to portions of adjacent panels; and electrical conductingmeans for providing electrical energization of said tensioning meanswhereby said panels are tensioned to apply a predetermined pressure tothe body of the wearer while enabling the skin of the body to breathethrough said panels at substantially atmospheric pressure.

2. A pressure suit adapted to compensate for changes in atmosphericpressure upon the body of a wearer and comprising in combination:knitted insulated metal wire fabric gas permeable pliable panels oflimited interstitial stretchability formed to enclose the human body,said insulated Wire constituting an electrical conductor; an electricalcircuit for supplying electrical energy to said conductor whereby heatmay be generated; electrical solenoid tensioning means having core partsattached to an edge of one of said panels and coil parts attached to anedge of an adjacent panel; and electrical conducting means for providingelectrical energization of said tensioning means whereby said panels aretensioned to apply a pre determined pressure to the body of the wearerwhile enabling the skin of the body to breathe through said panels atsubstantially atmospheric pressure.

3. A pressure suit adapted to compensate for changes in atmosphericpressure upon the body of a wearer and comprising in combination: gaspermeable pliable panels of limited interstitial stretchability formedto envelope the torso arms and legs of the human body; a plurality ofelectrical solenoid devices each having a core part attached to an edgeof one of said panels and a coil part attached to an edge of an adjacentpanel, said devices being adapted for tensioning said panels; andelectrical conducting means for providing electrical energization ofsaid devices whereby said panels are tensioned about the body of thewearer while enabling the skin of the body to breathe through saidpanels at substantially atmospheric pressure.

4. A suit adapted to confine the esh of the body of the wearer under acondition of low atmospheric pressure and comprising in combination: aplurality of flexible gas permeable panels formed of knitted metal wireof limited interstitial stretchability and adapted to enclose the humanbody; means connecting certain of said panels to denne an enclosing suitfor a wearers body enabling the skin of the body to breathe atatmospheric pressure through said panels; electrical solenoid tensioningmeans having a core part thereof attached to an edge of one of saidpanels and the coil part thereof attached to an adjacent panel; andelectrical conducting means for providing electrical energization ofsaid tensioning means whereby said panels are tensioned to restrict theesh of the body to substantially maintain the internal pressures thereinunder a condition of lesser external atmospheric pressure providingnormal body evaporation function under abnormally low pressureconditions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS506,282 Timmis Oct. l0, 1893 (Other references on following page)

